![]() If by mid-April the leaf buds haven’t swollen and started opening, then it’s time to check to see if the branch has died by using the scratch test. You can perform the “scratch test” (scratch a section of bark to see if it’s green underneath) to see if the limb is still alive but this does cause some damage and stress to the tree. If the tree is in an area where humans and animals will be unable to resist picking at the loose bark, you can perform “bark tracing” – cut away the bark that has separated from the tree, being extremely careful not to damage the bark that is still attached to the tree.Īfter you’ve taken care of the immediate health and safety issues, you really just need to wait. ![]() If you think the tree will be undisturbed, leave the bark. If your tree suffered from frost cracks – the bark froze and split away from the tree – you have options. Many trees that would have survived the storm fine were killed when the person pruning it didn’t prevent peeling and the bark peeled all the way down to the ground. When you prune, be sure to make your first pruning cut from the bottom of the branch to prevent the branch peeling down the tree. For the first few weeks, only address issues of safety. If the tree has a split, but both halves of the tree are still there, you can have an arborist come in to bolt the split together and create a pruning plan to reduce the weight and improve the structure of the tree. If your tree is an oak, paint the wounds. If there are limbs that are broken and hanging in the tree, go ahead and prune those for safety. But we need to be patient and give the tree time. ![]() Immediately after the storm, our first thought is to get out and “fix” it. The sign that everyone has noticed is the green leaves of live oaks and Mexican white oaks turning brown. Freeze damage can also cause frost cracks – areas where frozen bark splits open. Leaf buds never open, the twigs and branches become brittle, there’s no green under the bark, and the bark separates from the wood. Freeze damage can be limited to smaller twig death or can kill the whole tree. Freeze damage is much less obvious and the full extent usually isn’t known for several months. The damage is usually immediately obvious, although a lot of bowed trees will return to their normal upright form in very short order. The damage is seen as broken branches, split trees, and bowing trees. Loading damage is the damage caused by the buildup of ice and snow on the leaves and branches. Winter storms cause two types of damage – loading damage and freeze damage. If your live oak comes from a genetic lineage that is at the northern range, it may have suffered little cold damage. It is also true that the genetic lineage of the tree can make a difference. ![]() Or perhaps the tree had more snow and less ice and was insulated from the truly freezing temperatures. This is due the microclimates the trees are in – whether they had more shelter from the wind, or whether other trees or structures blocked ice and snow accumulation. ![]() Sometimes the same species of trees will show differing levels of damage. After the recent Winter Storm Uri, gardeners and nature lovers across Texas have been left wondering whether their plants and trees will survive and if they survive, how to rehabilitate them so that they are healthy and have an aesthetic appearance. ![]()
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